Anti-Smoking Message Effectiveness

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring how effective a respondent believes a specific anti-smoking warning message is at communicating health risks, encouraging current smokers to quit, and deterring non-smokers from starting. Used across multiple studies involving mock cigarette advertising featuring graphic or text-based warnings.

Response format

Rating scale (likely 7-point; anchors not formally specified; probably Very ineffective / Very effective)

Scale items

• How effective is this warning in communicating the risks associated with smoking cigarettes?
• How effective is this warning in encouraging current smokers to quit smoking?
• How effective is this warning in encouraging non-smokers to not start smoking?

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Response scale anchors were not formally reported; likely a 7-point scale from 'very ineffective' to 'very effective'. Alphas ranged from .87 to .90 across Studies 1a, 1b, and 2. Suitable for evaluating health warnings in advertising contexts more broadly.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Davis, C., & Burton, S. (2016). Understanding graphic pictorial warnings in advertising: A replication and extension. Journal of Advertising, 45(1), 33–42.

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